For Iowa’s defense, the whole week comes down to one name: Jeremiah Smith.
The Ohio State wideout has been a nightmare through four games, piling up 33 catches, 617 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. That kind of production is why the Hawkeyes’ biggest defensive test against the Buckeyes is brutally straightforward: slow Smith down as much as possible, because stopping him completely has not been the formula for anybody.
That job falls first to Iowa’s corners, Deshaun Lee and Jaylen Watson. Both have been locked in as the starters, and both are going to see plenty of Smith on Saturday. They’ve played well this season, but plenty of good cornerbacks have already taken their shot at Smith and come away empty-handed.
Phil Parker will likely need to get creative with help over the top. A safety shaded toward Smith’s side feels like the obvious move, with Zach Lutmer, Anthony Hawkins or Tyler Brown potentially filling that role depending on the strength call. It’s a risky setup elsewhere, but that’s the tradeoff when you’re dealing with a receiver like Smith.
The slot is another spot worth watching. If Ohio State moves Smith inside, Iowa could answer with Zach Lutmer in what would be a fascinating matchup between two players with NFL futures.
If the Hawkeyes do manage to limit Smith enough to make Ohio State look elsewhere, the next question becomes what the Buckeyes can lean on. Their other receivers have been part of the offense, but not in the same way. Devin McCuinn and Brandon Inniss, the next two leading pass catchers, have combined for 21 receptions and 298 yards.
Ohio State also has a ground game that can carry the load if needed. Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson have already totaled 489 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. Still, Iowa’s run defense has been strong, and the Hawkeyes may prefer taking their chances in a run-first fight rather than letting Jeremiah Smith take over the game.
In Other News...
Iowa Has A Real Shot To Shake Up The Big Ten Again
Iowas trip to face No. 5 Ohio State carries the kind of buzz that tends to follow a team after it has already shown it can wreck a contenders plans. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 14 and coming off an upset of Michigan, a win fueled by quarterback Hank Browns late drive that gave Iowa a fresh sense of belief heading into another heavyweight matchup.
Now comes a different kind of test, with Ohio States offense leaning on its running backs and quarterback Julian Sayin against Iowas top-ranked scoring defense. The Buckeyes have had some recent issues on that side of the ball, which only adds to the intrigue for a Hawkeyes team that has already shown it can make the Big Tens title picture a little messier. [Read more 🡒]
Caitlin Clark Got Dragged Into A Viral Hawkeyes Hearing Mix-Up
A strange little Iowa footnote popped up in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when U.S. senator Eric Schmitt pressed U.S. attorney Jack Smith over texts that referenced a Hawks game. Schmitt took that to mean the Atlanta Hawks, but Smith said he was actually at a womens college basketball game on Feb. 3, 2024, watching the Iowa Hawkeyes face Maryland.
The mix-up was easy enough to see once the shorthand got sorted out, but it still sent Caitlin Clark and Iowa into an unlikely political crosscurrent. For Hawkeyes fans, it was just another reminder of how often the program and its biggest star have become part of a much larger conversation, even when the subject at hand has nothing to do with basketball. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces One Kinnick Test That Could Change Everything
ESPN analyst Greg McElroy is already circling Iowas Week 5 trip to Ohio State as one of the Big Tens first real measuring sticks, and his breakdown showed why. He pointed to the Buckeyes passing game, led by receiver Jeremiah Smith, while also giving Iowa credit for the kind of defensive structure that usually keeps the Hawkeyes in games well into the fourth quarter. In a matchup like this, the margins tend to be thin, and McElroy made clear that both sides have areas that could swing the night.
For Iowa, the conversation naturally starts with the run game and the red zone defense, two areas that often decide whether the Hawkeyes can turn a close road test into something more. McElroys prediction leans Ohio State, but the bigger question for Iowa is whether those strengths can travel well enough to make the Buckeyes uncomfortable. If they do, this game could look very different from the one many are expecting, and that is exactly what makes it such an intriguing early-season test. [Read more 🡒]